Without a doubt, the
months of May and June have long been the favorite months of many
outdoor enthusiasts including fly fishermen. As the Sun makes its
journey towards the Summer Solstice on June 21-22 a profusion of plant
growth brings the forest and meadows to life. The accelerating plant
growth increases insect activity, which in turn attracts many returning
birds returning from a long winter in Central and South America. What
had been a half empty stage is once again bustling with activity. Along
the streams, we have begun to see Muskrat, Beaver and Mink once again.
River Otters tend to be a little more secretive. A few years ago I saw a
family of Mink: mom, dad and three kits bounding along the bank in
search of crayfish and other aquatic delicacies. Snapping Turtles will
become active and seek ancestral nest sites often what has now become
someone’s lawn. With so many young families around, chances for an
encounter increase and younger animals tend to be more curious than
older ones. Frankly as long as respectful distances are maintained and
the animals are not prodded or disturbed all should be well. Please
exercise extreme care when dealing with our resident bruin, the Black
Bear and never feed them. For many of us, seeing and observing wildlife
while fishing or hunting is as much a part of experience as is the
pursuit of the intended quarry.

I spoke with Don
Freiday, Director of NJ Audubon’s Scherman-Hoffman Center in
Bernardsville and I was impressed with his knowledge of our natural
world. When I asked Don about what was happening from a naturalist’s
perspective in May and June he said quite simply: “Everything.”
Wildflowers known as the Spring Ephemera because they flower briefly
before the full leafy canopy develops in the forest take center stage in
May. Species such as Spring Beauty, Common Blue Violet and yes, the
Trout Lilly all appear in May followed by orchids like the Pink Lady
Slipper in June. Towards the end of June watch as the lilies especially
the Tiger Lilly begins to bloom. Think about all of the trees in our
region and all of those leaves being palatable to some kind of insect.
Now you know why there are a great many birds especially songbirds
feeding on them. Many of these birds have returned from wintering
thousands of miles away in Central and South America. They arrive in May
to feed just as the abundance of the season is beginning to be evident
and then nest in June some like the Eastern Bluebird may even raise more
than one brood of young. Highlights of May arrivals are the warblers.
The Black and White, Blue Winged, and Black Throated Green are among the
more prominent of the many varieties to visit our area. In June the deep
forest species such as the Scarlet Tanager will construct its nest. It
requires mature forest to breed. Interestingly enough, two of our year
round resident raptors, the Great Horned Owl and the Red Tailed Hawk
actually raise their young to maturity or “fledging” earlier in the year
so the newly independent predators can try their luck and hone their
skills during the region’s most abundant season. Please visit the
Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Refuge and take part in any of their great
outdoor programs. This place is truly a center of wildlife stewardship
in New Jersey. They offer numerous programs and events at their centers
throughout the state. Contact them at www.njaudubon.org.

What’s hatching?

May and June are the
most active months for mayfly activity in the East. May often begins
nondescriptly enough but by the middle of the month the Sulphur hatch is
getting into full swing and it is not unusual through the rest of the
period soon to be discussed to see many different mayflies on the water.
John Collins and I fished an evening in late May last year and counted
nine different species at one stage of hatching or another over a two
hour period! While mayfly activity is certainly center stage, don’t
neglect stoneflies or caddis. Both families hatch abundantly over this
period.

A significant
difference between the early season and this peak period is that
activity often begins in the morning with small Blue Winged Olives and
Caddis. The Olives are actually small Baetis, the true Olives hatch
later and well into June. Use small BWO’s or Blue Quills sized 16-22 for
the duns and small Pheasant Tail nymphs and BWO emergers in the same
sizes if nothing seems to taking on the surface. There is usually a lull
in mayfly activity after the Hendrickson hatch and it is at this time
that the various Caddis species take center stage. Use an Elk Hair
Caddis in Olive, Grey, or Tan sized 14-16. Simply observe current
activity and match the hatch! Many Caddis actually swim down to the
bottom as adults so fishing an Elk Hair Caddis wet is not a bad idea.
Traditional soft hackled flies match the emerging pupa very effectively.
Try Olive, Grey and Yellow.

A little later into
May, the Mother’s Day Caddis appears. Imitate the natural with a size
12-14 Grey Elk Hair Caddis fished near a bank with good structure such
as stone, brush or logs can be very productive. This technique is good
to practice for two reasons. First, trout orient often toward structure
especially the larger fish. Secondly, many mayfly species migrate toward
the sides and back eddies of a stream to hatch. Finally, how do you tell
a caddis from a mayfly? The caddis doesn’t have a tail, the antennae are
often pronounced and the wings are large located more in the center of
the body and they often dip and fly erratically. The most consistent
larval or nymph-like imitation is the Olive Caddis Beadhead size 14-18.
Many caddis species also build a home or a case out of debris, so a
cased caddis can be a good option as they are frequently washed off of
the rocks they are built upon and float helplessly downstream.

The first major
mayfly hatch of May is the March Brown (Stenonema Vicarium). They are
large flies sized 10-12 usually but on some streams they can be often as
large as size 8. I look for rocky bank areas with overhanging structure
and riffle/rock sections of a stream with hard bottom, knowing the
preferred habitat of the mayflies is as important as understanding where
the fish are. This insect migrates to the sides and back eddies and a
nymph fished in shallow water can be deadly. The March Brown Emerger
fished through the same type of water is one of my favorite ways to
catch trout as they key on this large clumsy insect trying to emerge
from its nymphal shuck. The duns hatch sporadically all day and should
be fished close to the bank for best results. The spinners gather over
the riffles at dusk in large bomber squadrons. Try an Ausable Wulf or a
March Brown Parachute size 10-12 for this stage but you need to wait and
watch for the spinners to drop.

Center stage at this
time of year belongs to the Sulphurs. They are a signature Eastern Hatch
and more people look forward to this hatch than all the rest. There are
good reasons for this. They are tolerant of a variety of water
conditions and stream types; both freestone and limestone streams have
good hatches. They also hatch in the afternoon into dusk so many anglers
can work all day and still catch the peak of activity which often begins
after 5pm. We spend many nights fishing this hatch; George Cassa, Eric
Hildebrant and I along with our usual crew John Collins, John Heaney,
Mike McAuliffe, Joe Scarangella, and Bob Van Doren. Chris Shannon and I
were chased out of the Trestle Pool in the Gorge one night by the
numerous bats swooping after the Sulphur Spinners. I’ll have more on bat
fishing in a later article. Bill Sell, our shop manager sets up with his
cane rod and Hardy reel although he doesn’t seem to match the hatch he
still catches fish. The Sulphur hatch is comprised of three species; the
Ephemerella invaria and rotunda begin first followed closely by the more
numerous E. dorothea. Sulphurs are so named because they are all a pale
yellow in color and activity can be dense so much so that they can
produce a “Blanket Hatch”. The rotunda and invaria prefer moderate to
fast currents while the Dorothea prefers moderate currents. Pheasant
Tail nymphs in size 12 and 14 cover the rotunda and invaria effectively.
Light Cahill wets are a good choice for the emerger stage as is a Yellow
CDC Emerger. CDC feathers come from the tail of the duck so they are
naturally buoyant and they are great for all types of emergers. Chris
Sauerwein of Chris’ Creative Flies introduced us to these a couple of
years ago and they are deadly in size 12-16. The Dorothea is the
smallest of the three; size 16 is a good bet on most water. For the dun
use a Light Cahill or Sulphur Parachute size 12 for the rotunda, size 14
for the invaria and size 16 for the Dorothea. Les Shannon’s Lemon Cahill
is simply the deadliest Sulphur pattern that I know of although the
Snowshoe Rabbit emerger is great too. For us the Lemon Cahill is the
best and I remember having to tie some after Les ran out. They weren’t
pretty but they caught fish. The Sulphurs gather over the riffles at
dusk preparing for the spinner fall and they are a darker color being
more of a yellowish orange however the Dorothea duns will still be
coming off. Stick with a dun in the failing light and you will still
catch fish.

In June, the Sulphurs
will continue but the Light Cahill begins to be more prominent.
Stenonema Ithaca and Stenacron Interpunctatum/canadense are the dominant
species. They are a lighter cream in color distinguishing them from the
Sulphurs. Basically use a Light Cahill size 12-14 or Light Cahill
Parachute size 12-14. Pheasant Tails work well for the nymph as does the
Light Cahill Wet for the emerger stage. In the morning, look for the
true Blue Winged Olives Ephemerella Cornuta and Attenuatta. The Cornuta
is a size 12-14 and the Attenuatta is smaller size 14-16. They are a
lighter green when they first emerge and darken to an olive shade within
a few seconds. Pheasant Tails and Olive Flashback nymphs should be
fished in the morning and an Olive CDC Emerger is deadly in the late
morning or as the trailer in a tandem rig set twenty inches behind the
nymph. The Yellow, Dark Green and Golden Drakes will appear in June but
some of the best action can be found with the Isonychia hatch. Fish the
emerger and this fly in a similar manner to the March Brown. Substitute
an Iso Nymph or Prince size 10-12, an Iso Emerger and then a Dun Variant
or Adams for the dry. John Collins’ Iso Biot Parachute is deadly. Check
out our website for events such as contests or tackle demonstrations and
enjoy the peak of our season.-JH